Breathe in, breathe out with Brethney

     Ever since I was young I usually pray before sleeping. I always do it because my Mom told me to. Honestly speaking, we are not that religious family. We don’t go to church very often, even up until now. However, God and saints were not new to us since my grandmother was a “mananabtan” — the one that leads the prayer. Every member of my family, we have this tradition that we have a specific church to go to whenever our birthday comes. We would visit the churches, light candles, and pray. Praying was the only thing I knew to communicate with God. Praying… I knew it was important. I knew it was nice. What I did not know was if it really works.        As I was slowly growing up, I was able to maintain the practice or at least do the sign of the cross before sleeping.      Continuing my life as a Junior High School student, I was just like a typical girl whose life routine went like running in circles. Home to school, school to home— it ...

     Chinnie Balungcas, 17, a Grade 12 student, daughter, granddaughter, responsible, brave, ambitious, and a TOTGA. The one that got away. You might ask why, in what part or in what situation, and how. Well, her story happened.      Chinnie is in a family of eight—her parents and her 5 siblings. Her mother, Gina, is a housewife, and her father, Arnold, is an Overseas Filipino Worker(OFW) in Papua New Guinea. Her siblings are named: Pamela, Geselle, Karel, Justin, and John Michael. She is the fourth child of her parents. Her family lives in Manila except for her father who is working abroad, and she, who is living with her grandparents on her mother's side.      Erlinda Lapiz, 72, the grandmother, took her from her parents when she was eight(8) months old. It was because her parents couldn't sustain her needs; her father was jobless at that time and the reason why their family is financially unstable. So, Erlinda, together with Alejandro, 82...

It was the year 2021 and it was almost 8 in the evening, I was doing my usual thing — cleaning and preparing the bed. And knowing how lazy I was, I rested as if I worked all day after doing that. I sit like a frog on my bed then lie down and repeat, and then wide-eyed staring at my phone because it was all that I spent my time on.  I was scrolling on social media, when a chat head of a friend of mine, Erika, appeared on screen that made my gaze shift on it. I opened it and read the message “Brethney, ana si Miss Dakay nga pahimoun daw ta ug tula about Drug Awareness for competition daw, kita tulo ni Johannes. Screening pa daw ugma, pilian ta” . I answered her, “Huh? Ugma dayon?” She said yes and that they were actually informed days ago but Ms. Dakay forgot to tell me. Plus, she said that we need to memorize the piece or if not, at least familiarize it.  I only had a few hours left to do the task so to be sure that I am going to focus on doing it, I informed my mother that I ...